Interlocking roofing



Aug. 25, 1931. I H. R. FRENCH I ,8

INTERLCSCKING ROOFING Filed Dec. @1925 Z'ShGG'lZS-ShQi l Q I I [mm/2m".- I

Aug. 25, .1931.

H. R. FRENCH Filed Dec. 3 192 I NTERLOCKING ROOFING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug, 25, 193i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY R. FRENCH, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MFNTS, TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION,

SETTS, .A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS INTER/LOCKING ROOFING Application filed December 3, 1926. Serial No. 152,365.

This invention relates to fabricated roofing of the general. e known as interlocking roofing elem rily made of interfeh ed fibrous sheet material such as may be made on a paper-making machine, and saturated with a suitable waterproofing substance such as low melting-point asphalt which permeates the pores and Voids of the sheet and imparts strength. as well as waterproof qualities thereto. The saturated sheet is coated with a protective layer of high melting-point asphalt which in turn is masked by a surfacing layer of comminuted material, preferably opaque, which may be crushed slate, brick, tile or other similar substance, the particles of which are partially embedded in the asphalt coating and protect the asphalt from the deteriorating effects of the weather, particularly those of the suns rays. Material of the kinddescribed is generally of a -semi-flexible character and when elements cut therefrom (e. strip shingles) are laid upon a roof, the shingle-simulating tabs thereof are liable to be lifted by strong winds to a greater or less extent so as to permit rain to drive in under the elements and to penetrate into the building which is supposed to be protected thereby. In orderto counteract this tendency of shingle tabs to rise under the action of strong-winds, many forms of interlocking shingleshave been devised. most of these interlocking elements being comparatively complicated in shape, wasteful of material in manufacture. and difficult to lay upon the roof. -I have devised a roofing element which is extremely simple in outline, can be. cut from a sheet with comparatively little waste of material, and is easily laid'on av roof. These and further advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the description which follows and from the drawings of which,

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary length of a sheet of roofing material showing how one form of my invention may be out therea from.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a form of strip shingle embodying my invention.

Figure 3 indicates the appearance of a roof Such roofing is customa laid with elements such as are illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail on a larger scale illustrating the interlocking of the roofing elements.

Figure 5 is a vertical section showing a beveled cut for the edges of the slots and intel-locking ears. 1

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are elevations of strip shingles showing a variety of slight modificat1ons of the shingle illustated in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary length of a sheet of roofing material showing how individual single shingles embodying my invention may be cut therefrom with pra'cti-,

cally no waste.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail showing the manner of interlocking the shingles illuscally no waste.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary length of a sheet of roofing material, showing how the elements may be cut transversely therefrom.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 2 illustrates a form of strip shingle which embodies my invention. As shown,

this consists of a rectangular upper portion 20 on which are formed a plurality of shingle-simulating weather end-portions 21, each of which is preferably of agenerally rectangular shape which by reason of slightly converging side edges, is trapezoidal, each weather portion supplied at the mid-point of the butt edge thereof with a tab 22. This tab is preferably widest at its line of juncture with the weather end portion so as toenable it to enter readily and to fit closely in a'slot having a length equal to the maximum width of the tab. 'Successiveweather end portions 21 are defined by suitable weather edge slots 23 which extend upwardly from the butt edge of the strip shingle and terminate at their upper end in horizontal slots 24 which are formed of sufficient size to receive the tabs OF BOSTON, MASSACHIL 22 of the strip shingles in the course next' the insertion of tabs 22 of a shingle in the loo course next above, and when lifted the shoulders form an abutment engageable by the weather edge of the shingle in the course above. In order to avoid waste in cutting the strip shingles from a sheet of roofing niaterial, I cut the strip shingles so that their butt edges will be adjacent in the sheet as shown in Figure 1, and make the slots 23 sufficiently wide at the lower end thereof to enable the tabs 22 to be cut therefrom.. In order to have an interlocking effect, however, these slots must be narrower at the upper end adjacent to the horizontal slots 24,

as at 25, so that the tabs 22 when inserted into the slots 24 will be held down by overlapping ma-terial. This narrowing of the slot at the upper end may be accomplished in a variety of ways. In the form shown in F igure 2, I cut the vertical slot 23 with a grad v ual taper extending from the butt edge to the horizontal slot 24. I may, however, extend the tapered slotbetween the shingle tabs only a portion of the distance to the horizontal slot 24 as at 26 (Figure 6). I may connect the upper end of the slot 26 with the slot 24 by a slit 27, but this slit may be omitted if desired as shown in Figure 7. Instead of the slot- 23 or 26, I may cut out from the butt portion of the strip shingle merely sufficient material to form an ear for the complementary shingle as at 28 in Figures 8 and 9, the shingle portions in these cases being defined by slits which extend either all the way to the slots 24 as at 29, ora part of the way as shown at 30. In the last two forms mentioned, I have shown the tabs 31 as semi-circular in shape, but the actual shape of the tabs is immaterial and may be substantially rectangular or slightly tapered as in Figures 2, 6 and 7, or any other desired shape. In each case, suitable slots are cut into the end edges of the strip shingles as at 32 to cooperate with similar slots in the end edges of adjacent strip shingles in the same course, a pair of these cooperating slots 32 being equivalent to a slot 24. If desired, the strips may be cut crosswise of the sheet, as shown in Figure 12, the tabs in such case being taken from the head portion of the next adjacent strip in the sheet. In order to enable the roofing elements to lie flatter and to make possible the use of a narrow slot 24, I may cut the slots and tabs with beveled edges as shown in Figures 5, but this method of bevel cutting is not an essential part of my invention.

My invention may be applied to the cutting of single shingle elements from a sheet of roofing material as shown in Figure 10. As will be seen from this figure, the tabs 31 which are formed on the butt edges of the shingles are cut from material taken from the lower corners of complementary shingles in the sheet. These tabs are preferably of semi-circular form but need not be restricted to this or any other shape. In the sides of each shingle are cut horizontally extending slots 32 which cooperate when the shingles are laid side by side to form closed slots similar to the slots 24 to receive locking tabs 31 of the shingles in'the course above, as shown in Figure 11.

By my invention, I have provided a type of roofing element which is economically cut, which is simple in outline and which re sults in a flat roof, the weather portions of which a-re'not liable to be lifted by'the wind or to' curl from other causes.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various cha-ngesand modifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim i 1. An interlocking roofing element having vertical slots extending upwardly from the butt edge thereof to define shingle-simulating weather end portions, and a tab formed at the mid-point of the butt edge of each weather end portion, said slots being narrower at their upper ends than the line of juncture between said weather end portions and their tabs, said element also having a horizontal slot in line with each upwardly extending slot to receive an ear of the course laid next above on a roof.

2. An interlocking roofing element having vertical slots extending upwardly from the butt edge thereof to define shingle-simulating weather end portions, and a tab extending downwardly from the mid-point of the butt edge of each said weather end portion, each said slot being tapered from a width at its lower endsubstantially equal to the maximum width of a tab to a width at its upper end, less than the line of juncture between a weather end portion and its tab, said element also having horizontal slots adjacent to the upper ends of said upwardly extending slots and adapted to receive tabs of the course laid next above on a roof.

3. An interlocking roofing element capable of being laid with other similar elements in courses on a roof, the elements in each course having tabs projecting downwardly from the butt edges thereofand horizontal slots above and laterally offset from said tabs to receive the tabs of the course next above, said tabs each having its maximum width at its line of juncture with the element, each of said slots having a length substantially equal to the maximum width of the tabs, whereby each tab may be inserted in a slot with a direct downward motion, said elements having material immediately below said slots arranged to envelop a substantial portion of a tab inserted in the slot.

4. A shingle assembly comprising shingle strips, each of the shingle strips having a weather edge slot provided with aligned horizontal shoulders adjacent the inner end of the slot, each individual shingle member having a weather edge tab projecting downwardly for insertion downwardly under the shoulders of a laid strip to lift the shoulders to provide abutments engageable by the weather edge of the'superposed shingle. 5. In a shingle strip, individual shingles comprlsing upper portions attached to adj acent shingles, free lower portions, intermediateportions havin downwardly inwardly tapering side edges orming free corners at the upper edges of the lower. portions, and tapering weather edge tabs freely insertable under said corners of adjacent laid shingles for lifting the same to form abutments for weather edges of superposed shingles. 6. In a roof covering, shingles comprising body portions, weather end portions adapted for free movement relative to the weather end portions of adjacent shingles and having weather edge tabs, and necks connecting the body portions with the weather end portions whereby horizontal shoulders are formed at the upper corners of the weather end portions, the tab of a superposed shingle being freely insertable under said shoulders ofadjacent laid shingles to lift the same, and the weather edge of said superposed shingle being adapted to register with the upper edges of the weather end portions of said laid shingles and abut the shoulders thereof, for latchin the superposed shingle with the laid shing es.

7. An interlocking roofing element having a plurality of trapezoidal weather portions, and an ear projecting from the butt edge of each saidportion, said element having a slot extending upwardly from its butt edge with a widened upper end forming a pair 0 shoulders spaced apart a distance less than the line of juncture between a weather portion and its tab.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

' HENRY R. FRENCH. 

